SAVE THE DATE!!!

Save the date for our Oyster Roast!  February 1, 2015!!!

Bowen's Island has graciously donated the use of their property for our Oyster Roast!  Details will be announced at a later date!

***Anyone wishing to be on the Oyster Roast committee please email
Teresa Muthard at  mikemuthard@hotmail.com. 

Several of you have expressed interest so please let Teresa know asap!

SOA Middle School Band Pool Party!

For SOA Middle School Band

Friday, August 22nd

8:30-10:30 PM

Northbridge Terrace Pool

The Band Booster Club will provide pizza. 

6th Graders, please bring drinks.  Individual sodas, juices, or bottled waters would be great.  No glass containers though, and please bring them cold or in a cooler.

7th Graders, please bring chips, snacks, or individual desserts (something for which you do not need a utensil to eat – cookies, cupcakes, etc)

8th Graders, please bring paper plates, napkins/paper towels

All Parents, though you are welcome to come and mingle with other parents, because this is a band student only party (no siblings or friends), you may drop off and pick up your child.  Band Booster Members will be chaperoning this event.  

Information for First Days of School

8/8/14

Dear parents and students,

I hope you are enjoying your last few days of summer break and are getting excited
about your new school year! I am very excited! I have some important items for
the first few days and I have separated this information by grade level:

6th grade band: 2A-B

Monday 8/18
o No instruments on Monday 8/18
o Bring all other books, binders, and PENCIL!
o Bring your lock with both keys

Tuesday 8/19
o Yes Instruments! (Make sure that you have all of your reeds, greases,
oils, swabs, polishing cloths, etc.)
o Only bring items needed for your instrument.
o We will be playing this day!!!!

7th gr. band: 1A-B

Monday 8/18
o Bring instruments to school! (Yes, we are playing)
o Bring your lock with both keys
o Bring all band books, binders, and a PENCIL

Tuesday 8/19
o 1B = Wind ensemble class
o Bring all band books, binders, and a PENCIL
o No back packs allowed in band room on B days

8th grade band: 3A – 1B

Monday 8/18
o Bring instruments to school! (Yes, we are playing)
o Bring your lock with both keys
o Bring all band books, binders, and a PENCIL

Tuesday 8/19
o 1B = Wind ensemble class
o Bring all band books, binders, and a PENCIL
o No back packs allowed in band room on B days

7th & 8th gr. bands
Wednesday will be Jr. Allstate scale test for seating!
All Smart Music is due August 15th!

This will get us off to a great start! Please be on time to class, we will
have slightly shortened classes due to homeroom and we must get
going! If you have any questions, please email me at the email below my
name. I will get back to you as quickly as I can.

I’m looking forward to our best year yet!

Sincerely,
Suzanne K. Reed
Middle School band director
Charleston County School of the Arts
Suzanne_reed@charleston.k12.sc.us

News and Announcements - Summer 2014

Hello to all!  Welcome, 6^th grade parents and welcome back, 7^th and 8^th grade parents.  We are looking forward to an exciting year with the Charleston County SOA Middle School Band.  We wanted to give you some information about registration and pass on some information regarding a couple of new policies.

The registration dates are as follows:

                6^th grade – July 28^th- 9-11 am

                7^th grade- July 28^th – 1-3 pm

                8^th grade – July 29 – 9-11 am

                Multi grades – July 31 – 1-3 pm

                Make-up date-August 4^th- 9-11 am

At registration please be sure to bring multiple checks for band fees, PTA dues, and pictures (please note that this is also your child’s yearbook photo so have them dress appropriately).  This year some art majors are also selling SOA themed items as fundraisers at registration.

Please be prepared to pay your $200 band fee at registration.  This is a fee to every band member and will be used to purchase music, Smart Music registration, hire clinicians, registration fees for band clinics throughout the year, and many other day-to-day items needed to run the middle school band program at SOA. You may pay in installments if needed.

There is a $50 fee for all students using school owned instruments and to those who play percussion.  This fee off sets our yearly maintenance for these instruments.

We also ask that families participate in some fundraisers throughout the year.  These fundraisers help offset costs not covered by the band fee.  This year there is an opportunity to “buy out” of participating in fundraising.  If you choose not to participate in fundraisers at the minimum level, you may instead pay a fundraising fee of $200 per student. 

As you can imagine, it takes a tremendous number of volunteer hours to put on the events hosted by our SOA Middle School Bands.  To that end, this year we are introducing the Fair Share Volunteer Hours program.

The goal of the Fair Share Hours program is to encourage each family to participate in and benefit from their student’s band program.  By participating in the program, you are not only role modeling, but, you are contributing to the future success of the music program, building relationships and supporting your child’s success. 

Each family is responsible for volunteering 5 hours for 2 parent households and 2.5 hours for single parent households. (These hours are regardless of the number of students in your family participating in band).  

A cumulative record will kept for each family by the Volunteer Coordinators. Volunteer hours are maintained on an honor system. Anytime you are working on SOA MS Band Business (some examples are attending board/parent meetings, chaperoning, driving equipment to competitions, and coordinating activities), your time counts for your Fair Share Hours.  Your volunteer time will be recorded by the volunteer coordinators (Leah Crosby and Emily Poland).  If you volunteer outside just communicate your times to the volunteer coordinators.

 If you are unable to complete your volunteer hours, you may “buy out” your hours at $10.00 per hour.  (Volunteer hours not completed by the end of April will be billed in May.)  If you intend to “opt out” of all volunteer opportunities, please pay the $50/$25 fee by October 1, 2014.  

There is a great opportunity for you to get some volunteer hours out of the way by helping out at registration.  Please see the following link for signup through Sign Up Genius.  Also, we are in need of an additional Oyster Roast Co-Chair (preferably a 6^th grade family).

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/60B0C4FAEAF29A57-registration 

We look forward to working together to make this 2014-2015 band year fantastic and promise this will be the longest email you will receive all year!!!!!

Your band board consists of the following and you can contact at them at:

Kristen Salisbury – President                                                                   abandcsmom@gmail.com

Ginger Snook – VP/Communications                                                        soamsband@gmail.com

MaryRoss McQuage – Treasurer                                                              maryross@agingresources.net

Terri Southard – Secretary                                                                       TSouth3871@aol.com

Leah Crosby – Volunteer and Event Coordinator                                        leahandchris@yahoo.com

Emily Poland – Volunteer and Event Coordinator                                       ash7ell@gmail.com

Teresa Muthard – Oyster Roast Chair                                                      mikemuthard@hotmail.com

Shannon Jones - Fundraiser Chair                                                           dokoshannon@gmail.com

Melinda Del Mastro – Webmaster                                                           melindadm@gmail.com

Leslie Bogstad - Uniforms                                                                       lesliebogstad@yahoo.com

Ellen Hart - Uniforms                                                                              jandelhart@gmail.com

Melissa Field - Trips                                                                               melissaannfield@yahoo.com

Kayretha Conyer - Trips                                                                          kay.con.18@gmail.com

Steve Carnie – Transportation Coordinators                                              castle2419@comcast.net

Chris Kerr – Transportation Coordinators                                                  tigercak@gmail.com

Info for Rising 9th Graders and Their Parents

Dear rising 9th grade band students,

The High School Band would like to pass on two items to you-- 

1.  Band Camp for High School will be August 4-8th at SOA.  More information will be forwarded in the summer but please mark your calendars.

2. The HS Band Boosters is looking for nominations to fill the 2014-2015 High School Band Boosters Board.   We hope you will consider serving on the board for next year and would like to talk to you about some of our open positions.  Please contact one of the following if you are interested in being a part of the band board. 

Jen Hamrick  current President  at jenhamrick123@gmail.com

Lisa DeLoach current Secretary at cfoam7@gmail.com

or Ms Reed or Mr. Kerr or reply to Adina Garner.

Thanks!

Thank you and we hope you will consider being a part of the board!!  There are many positions with varying levels of time and responsibility.

SOA Solo and Ensemble Schedule

Dear Parents,

Click here for the schedule for the SOA solo & Ensemble event.  This will be held tomorrow in the RMMT.  Please feel free to come and listen, the RMMT will be  open for you!  Your student signed up for his/ her time.  This fulfills the requirement for Solo & Ensemble for Mrs. Reeds classes and Mr. Kerr's Jury requirement is fulfilled with the rating of SUPERIOR.

Thank you for a great year!

Suzanne & Basil

Last minute reminders for Carowinds

Here are some last minute reminders!

1. Report to the band room (back door) at 6:30am!
2. Wear your Red Band T-shirts
3. Wear comfortable clothes & shoes (these may get wet)
4. Bring spending money
5. Bring money for dinner on the way home
6. You must always stay with your group
7. Wear sunblock
8. You may leave items on the bus but the bus will not be at Carowinds during the day
9. No Sodas or gatorade allowed on the bus - Water only!
10. You may bring snacks for the bus ride
11. Ipods, DVD players, cell phones, Kindles, etc. are OK.  
12. Be Polite and respectful of all adults and each other
13. You must be with your chaperone at all times!
14. Have Fun!